WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for January 15

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The Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) vs. Roman Reigns, 2-on-1 Handicap Match

Result: Roman Reigns defeated The Miztourage via pinfall

Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars

I just know there’s a bunch of people out there who watched this and complained about “Super Reigns.” You know, he took a beating and came back like nothing had happened, then won a handicap match despite being outnumbered. It’s right out of the John Cena playbook.

But I got a secret for you: Before it was the Cena playbook, it was the Rock playbook. Or the Austin playbook. Or the Hogan playbook. Or the Bruno playbook. (I’m guessing on that one, Bruno was before my time.) It’s classic booking for your top guy – he’s literally supposed to be a superhero. When it was Hogan, I was a kid and ate it up. When it was Austin/Rock, I was a snarky teenager who liked the “bad guys” getting one over on “the man.”

However, when it was Cena, I was a young(er) adult who thought it was cheesy, stupid, and bad for the medium overall. In fact, I tuned out for a few years in the late 2000s before coming back like Pacino in The Godfather Part III. After a few years, the transition to Reigns started, and my retroactive understanding of just how important Cena was in the grand scheme of things became clear.

So seeing a “superhero” comeback like what Reigns did here doesn’t phase me. He’s supposed to be the guy who overcomes the odds, because he’s literally the epitome of the company at present. He can withstand anything and will endure – so he does. No one complains when Iron Man finds a way to beat the Mandarin. Or Spider-Man going over Doc Ock. Or Batman taking down the Joker. This is the same thing, just not on the pages of a comic book.